An Open Theist Renewal Theology (Rory Randall) -- A Review

AN OPEN THEIST RENEWAL THEOLOGY: God’s Love, The Spirit’sPower, and Human Freedom. Studies in Open and Relational Theology. By Rory R. Randall. Nampa, ID. SacraSage Press, 2021.  X + 209 pages.

                As one would expect those who embrace Open Theism envision an open future, a future that remains unwritten, which allows humanity freedom to participate with God in writing that still unwritten future. Open Theism is more a movement than a grouping, so that among those who call themselves Open Theists (myself included) may differ as to how much of the future God may already know.  What binds Open Theists together is their common rejection or modification of the traditional philosophical expectations regarding God's nature. That is, most Open Theists reject the philosophical categories of impassibility (passionless) and immutability (unchangeable) are set aside. As for omniscience, it is at the very least limited by the assumption that the future has written to be written. God may know the possibilities, but not the final outcome (on a side note, I would love to see more work done on eschatology and Open Theism). As for omnipotence, many Open Theists insist that God either by God’s nature or by God’s decision has certain limitations when it comes to power. That is, if God is all-powerful, there is the problem of free will and the presence of evil and suffering in the world. Many Open Theists have a Wesleyan background. Since Wesley and his theological/ecclesial descendants are generally Arminian in their approach to God's sovereignty, they assume a certain level of free will and limitations on God’s ultimate power.

                Rory Randall wishes to bring Open Theism into conversation with Renewal Theology. That is, he engages this conversation from a Pentecostal/Charismatic/Neo-Charismatic perspective. Much of the book is focused on the Wesleyan roots to the Pentecostal/Charismatic movements. He reminds us that the pioneers of this movement, Charles Parham and William Seymour, were Wesleyan-Holiness preachers before they embraced the Pentecostal vision. Over time, the movement divided into two streams, one Wesleyan and the other Reformed. Nevertheless, the Wesleyan roots are still present within the movement. Some of this continued legacy is rooted in the emphasis on the unfettered nature of the Holy Spirit. That is, if everything is already determined then what role does the Spirit play in the world today? Thus, there is room for a conversation between Renewal Theology and Open Theism.

                The author of An Open Theist Renewal Theology is Rory Randall, a Pentecostal theologian who has embraced the Open Theist message. He received his M.Div. and Th.M. from Fuller Theological Seminary (He was working on his Th.M. while I was a Ph.D. student and we both took the historiography class there at the same time). He later received his Ph.D. in Renewal Studies from Regent University. This book is based on the dissertation produced for that degree. He has taught at Azusa Pacific University and is on the staff of Christian Assembly, a Foursquare congregation in Eagle Rock, California.

                Although Randall is affiliated with the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, which is not part of the Wesleyan part of the movement, he has chosen to root this effort in Wesleyan Theology as expressed by both John Wesley and his colleague John Fletcher. Much of the book is focused on how their theological work lays the foundations for open theism. With that foundation, Randall then layers a Renewal Theology that is open theist in orientation. He uses the term "renewal theology" to broaden the spectrum of contributors beyond historic Pentecostalism to include the more recent expressions of that movement including both the Charismatic and Neo-Charismatic expressions. All of these movements include an emphasis on the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit with a focus on proclaiming Jesus Christ Lord to the glory of God the Father. The choice of renewal theology as the larger category allows for him to maintain the distinctions that exist between Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movements. 

                I need to note here the series in which the book appears. It is a volume in SacraSage Press's Studies in Open and Relational Theology, which is edited by Thomas Jay Oord. As noted earlier, the book is based on Randall’s Ph.D. dissertation written at Regent University. While it may have been revised since the time it was submitted, at least one footnote to a book by Thomas Oord, that looks forward to its publication in 2015, suggests that it has lain largely unrevised since at least 2015. Perhaps if more attention had been given to revising the manuscript it might look a little less like a dissertation. Nevertheless, this is a useful exploration of the relationship between open theism and renewal theology. Because it is essentially Randall's dissertation, we see a lot of the traditional elements of a dissertation here including lengthy definitions of open theism and Wesleyan theology, as well as Pentecostalism. Randall also introduces us to the primary figures in the Open Theist Movement, including Tom Oord, Clark Pinnock (now deceased), and Greg Boyd.

                I read the book as someone who locates himself within the Open Theist movement though I do have a Reformed twist to my perspective, as well as someone with Pentecostal roots and connections. I also wrote a book on spiritual gifts that explores some of what Randall focuses on here (see my book Unfettered Spirit: Spiritual Gifts for the New Great Awakening. Second Expanded Edition, Energion Publications, 2021). Because of my own theological inclinations, I am deeply interested in this matter of connecting the two movements, as I do believe that they have much in common (I believe that this could be true even for the non-Wesleyan branch of Pentecostalism).  

                So, what do I make of Randall’s effort? While I appreciate why he focuses on the Wesleyan roots, as both Open Theism and Pentecostalism have Wesleyan roots, I wish Randall had focused less on Wesley and Fletcher and more on contemporary Renewal theologians who are open to open theism, including Amos Yong, but who might not be as well known in open and relational circles as Pinnock and Boyd. While I appreciate his discussion of William Seymour in this book, I would love to see more as Seymour’s vision of racial and gender inclusion could benefit Open Theism. Additionally, since Randall locates the conversation within a Wesleyan trajectory, I would have liked to have seen more engagement, or at least acknowledged engagement, with Open Theism by Pentecostal theologians who are connected to the Wesleyan branch of the movement, such as the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) and Church of God in Christ.

                I identify as an Open Theist, but I’m Disciple (Stone-Campbell) and not Wesleyan. Disciples, though having Reformed roots, are not Calvinist in our thinking. We are very Lockean, which means we might be open to an open future but are not always open to the Spirit, but that's another discussion. That said, perhaps it’s because I’ve been influenced by Barth and Moltmann, who are Reformed in their thinking, I find myself uncomfortable when too much attention is paid to contrasting Open Theism with Reformed and Calvinist theology (I realize that the majority of critics, at least the conservative ones tend to be Reformed), Open Theism should be able to stand on its own without denigrating its alternatives. I understand that Open Theism largely rejects classical theism as noted above, but I’m wondering why Randall chose to contrast Open Theism with the classical theism he attributes to Wayne Grudem. I guess my real question is, why Grudem, who has openly identified himself with Christian Nationalism. Of course, this was written before Trump became President, but perhaps Randall could have chosen a more mainstream conversation partner (and I don’t mean John Piper either).

                Randall's An Open Theist Renewal Theology offers a place to begin the conversation about the relationship between Open Theism and Renewal Theology. It lays out some of the key players and key issues. Now, it would be good to see if Randall or another Renewal Theologian could take this deeper, as I believe that the connection between the work of the Holy Spirit and participation in the creation of an open future go hand in hand. Returning to my earlier mention of eschatology, Pentecostalism has a strong apocalyptic dimension, which might contribute to a conversation about the connection to Open Theism. Renewal theologians could contribute much to the conversation, taking it beyond its Wesleyan roots into a more comprehensive vision. I hope that Rory Randall will take this up in future work. The way forward in the Spirit is, in my mind, wide open!